Contenders confident: “A good track for us for sure”

The track at the new-look Red Bull Ring is approaching, but first Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) joined reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich press conference. ), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), 2021 Austrian GP winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Maverick Viñales to discuss what lies ahead this weekend.

The Red Bull Ring has never been a favored venue for Yamaha, but Quartararo feels good coming to Austria. The Frenchman was battling the Ducatis and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) at the front before last year’s Austrian Grand Prix was rained out, so it’s not necessarily a bad track for Yamaha.

“I feel pretty good. Especially in the second race last year we finished in 7th place, but before the rain we fought quite hard for the podium and the win. So we have speed, we know how important it is during the race for us. In terms of pace, it’s not a bad track for us, but we have more work to do on overtaking, but I wouldn’t say it’s a very bad track for us, and I think the chicane will be a bit better,” commented the World Championship. the leader.

In the red corner, Bagnaia and Ducati know how strong they are in the mountains of Styria. Since MotoGP™ returned here, only KTM has managed to beat the Balogna brand, and Pekka is currently in form. However, the Italian is well aware that repeating the previous successes of Ducati riders at the Red Bull Ring in 2022 will not be easy.

“Yes, it’s a good circuit for us, of course we show every year that our bike is competitive, but if we look at the last races, more than one manufacturer has been ahead. Last year I was fighting with Marc and Fabio for the win, we opened up a gap of two seconds before the rain started,” Pecca said.

“Looking at the characteristics of each bike, I was losing time in sector 3 and gaining time in sector 4, the Yamaha was gaining time in sector 3, the Honda was competitive as was the Ducati. This year, all the bikes are ahead because, as we’ve seen in the races, all the manufacturers can win. Also, with the new fairing we have a lower top speed, we’ll see this weekend if we’re in good shape and can fight for the win again.”

Silverstone wasn’t quite the weekend Aleix Espargaro was hoping for after his spectacular crash in FP4, but with a faster RS-GP at his disposal this year in Austria, the Spaniard believes he’ll be back on the sharp end to continue his winning streak in the championship.

“Therefore, the 2022 RS-GP has improved significantly, particularly on the aerodynamic side, but also in terms of pure engine performance; the bike picks up more revs. This track is the most demanding by a big margin engine-wise, but the ’22 engine is definitely a lot better than the last one, and in terms of the wheel with fenders and stopping the bike, this year’s bike is much more efficient, so I think it will be a good track for us,” said Espargaro.

No-one will forget Brad Binder’s heroics in 2021 in a hurry and, as previously stated, the Austrian factory are the only other company to win here besides Ducati.

“Obviously it’s a massive weekend for Red Bull and KTM as it’s their home race and I guess it’s the closest they’ll ever get to a home race. It’s been a big week for us, a lot of excitement, and of course a lot of build-up,” Binder said.

“So it’s really exciting to get back on the bike here tomorrow morning. Overall, this track has always been perfectly fine for us; never quite in qualifying but always in the race we seem to make something click. I had a couple of fourth places here and a win last year. I don’t want a repeat of last year – the position was great, but I don’t think I’ll be lucky this time – so I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Two back-to-back podiums for Viñales have seen the Spaniard return to form for 2022, so could the Red Bull Ring podium streak continue? A happy rider is a fast rider and Viñales is certainly optimistic about his and the team’s recent progress and pace.

“It’s a completely different weekend, we’re really focused and motivated. We came after two very good weekends and we want to continue this fight at the front and for the win. We have a lot to improve and we are on the way, in the process, but we feel very competitive. I think this track will suit us and my driving style,” Viñales said.

Make sure you tune in to MotoGP™ FP1 on Friday morning at 09:55 local time (GMT+2) to see the riders tackle the brand new chicane for the first time!